Pete Dowling
| Pete Dowling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 15, 1876 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| Died: June 30, 1905 (aged 28) Hot Lake, Oregon, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 17, 1897, for the Louisville Colonels | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1901, for the Cleveland Blues | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 39–65 |
| Earned run average | 3.87 |
| Strikeouts | 299 |
| Teams | |
| |
Henry Peter Dowling (July 15, 1876 – June 30, 1905) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1901. He played for the Louisville Colonels, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cleveland Blues.[1]
Early life
Dowling was the eldest child of Michael J. and Ellen Dowling of St. Louis, Missouri.[2]
Career
Dowling, a left-handed pitcher, made his major-league baseball debut with the Louisville Colonels on July 17, 1897.[2] In his first season, he had 30 starts, of which he won 13 and lost 20, with a 4.16 ERA.[2] After the ousting of Louisville from the National League in 1900, Dowling had planned to play with the Pittsburgh club, but began to develop a serious drinking problem that put his career in limbo.[2]
He relocated to Kentucky, where his family lived, before playing with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1900.[2] He would later play in Sacramento, California as well, but his alcoholism further jeopardized his career, and he was terminated.[2] Afterward, Dowling played with the Butte Miners, and later with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1904.[2]
Death
On June 30, 1905, Dowling was on his way to La Grande, Oregon, where he had joined a semipro team. Dowling missed his train at Fox Lake station in Union County, and decided to walk along the tracks en route to the game.[2] While walking on the track in Hot Lake, Dowling was struck by an oncoming train which decapitated him.[3] He was interred at Odd Fellows Cemetery in La Grande.[3]
References
Sources
- Lee, Bill (2009). "The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others". McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-44239-3.
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- 1876 births
- 1905 deaths
- American people of Irish descent
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Louisville Colonels players
- Milwaukee Brewers (1901) players
- Cleveland Blues (1901) players
- 19th-century baseball players
- People from Union County, Oregon
- Baseball players from Missouri
- Accidental deaths in Oregon
- Deaths by decapitation
- Railway accident deaths in the United States
- Paducah Little Colonels players
- Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players
- Sacramento Gilt Edges players
- Butte Miners players
- Butte Fruit Pickers players